If you happen to own a Transformer Prime TF201, you may be a little disappointed by the issues it had right off the bat. The most notable defect with the TF201 is its inability to properly use the GPS module that was originally advertised as a feature. Due to bad placement and the material the tablet is made out of, ASUS was forced to entirely remove GPS as a feature.

Remember this? It was no joke. Ice Cream Sandwich is indeed hitting the Asus Transformer Prime today, and we've got the OTA file to prove it.

Before you frantically skim the post for the download link, listen up: this will update will break root. So beforehand you are going to want to run OTA RootKeeper, so you don't lose root access. Then you are free to update.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF700T

Today, ASUS is introducing the Transformer Prime TF700T, its new flagship tablet and upgrade to the Transformer Prime TF201. The TF700T, which according to ASUS does not replace the TF201, remains practically the same as the original Prime, save for a higher resolution (1920x1200) display, a better front facing camera (2MP), and featuring a new back panel design.

When ASUS released the original Prime (TF201), early last month, we described it as one hell of a device, packing more power and newer features in an even smaller package than the original Transformer (TF101).

At this point, I'm sure you've heard that the Transformer Prime has GPS issues. Issues so bad that ASUS even removed GPS from the Prime's list of features. Under normal circumstances, we would all sit back and wait for a software update to roll out with a fix, but that's not going cut it this time.

This is serious.

ASUS has already acknowledged that the Prime's GPS issues are due to its all-aluminum construction.

Well, that didn't take long, did it? Just one short day after news hit the web that the Transformer Prime's bootloader is encrypted and locked, ASUS has issued a statement on its Facebook page regarding the matter, and it's definitely a step in the direction that the modding community was hoping for. Here's the meat and potatoes of it:

Regarding the bootloader, the reason we chose to lock it is due to content providers' requirement for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible.

Forget about GPS issues, it looks like ASUS has a bigger problem on its hand with the Transformer Prime: a locked/encrypted bootloader. Like with other devices, as soon as the development community found out about this, there were some rather irritated people. The typical backlash against the company has now started on popular social networking sites, along with a petition that has managed to get over 200 signatures in just a few hours.

Update 2: ASUS has issued an official statement on the matter and determined that the Prime's GPS is functioning as intended, which for many folks means essentially non-functional.

Please note that this product is not a professional GPS device ... To avoid inconveniencing users who demand a powerful GPS device, we made the decision to remove it from our specification sheet and marketing communications. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

It appears this may have been a special offer limited to select customers who preordered a different color that was delayed, and that the web page was set up to never run out of stock. The shipping date may be completely wrong, as well. We're waiting on a response from Best Buy to confirm, but given that it's a holiday, we're not expecting it until Monday. We advise you not to order.

Well, we started today off right by offering our US readers a Galaxy Nexus, but we figured it's only fair to bring our international readers into the mix for another awesome giveaway. Today, we're giving away one ASUS Transformer Prime 32GB Wi-Fi tablet to one lucky person, courtesy of Beansoft, the developers of the extremely popular third-party keyboard app Thumb Keyboard, along with a pair of Klipsch S4A headphones provided by Klipsch (read our review here).